PARKER, Colo. — Members of a school community in Parker are reeling after a 5th-grade teacher was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Friday.
Denver7 Investigates was given a copy of a letter sent to parents of students at Global Village Academy in Parker, alerting them that Marina Ortiz and her family were detained by ICE agents "while she was completing a routine appointment related to her immigration case."
Arturo Vazquez, an immigration attorney, told Denver7 Investigates that detaining illegal immigrants during appointments with ICE is becoming more common.
"It's kind of like a self-reporting tool, but recently it's been used to literally detain people," said Vazquez. "It's not that everyone who's going to check in is getting detained, but it's more for recent arrivals or people who have some kind of history, whether it's criminal history or immigration history."
The letter from Global Village Academy Principal Stacy Bush states that Ortiz has permission to be in the United States and work authorization. However, work authorization does not necessarily prevent someone in the country illegally from being deported.
In a statement to Denver7 Investigates, an ICE spokesperson confirmed that Ortiz was detained on Friday, Oct. 24, and she will remain in custody pending an investigation.
- Full statement from ICE:
Marina Ortiz-Abollaneda, 43, is an illegal alien from Peru who entered the country Dec. 2, 2022 near Yuma, Arizona and was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. She was subsequently paroled and released on her own recognizance.
Ortiz-Abollaneda was taken into ICE Denver custody on Oct. 24, 2025. She will be held in ICE custody pending immigration proceedings.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is executing its mission of identifying and removing criminal aliens and others who have violated our nation’s immigration laws. All aliens in violation of U.S. immigration law may be subject to arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removal from the United States, regardless of nationality.
According to Bush, Ortiz and her family were transferred to a family immigration detention facility in Texas. Colorado does not have any immigration facilities meant to house families.
"We are currently working closely with our legal team and outside immigration attorneys to understand if and how we might be able to help facilitate their return to Colorado," Bush wrote in her letter to parents.
Susan Meek, a board of education director for the Douglas County School District, said she is "deeply shocked and profoundly saddened" by Ortiz's detainment.
"When someone who contributes to our shared mission of educating children is suddenly taken away, it sends a chilling message to the many families in our district who live each day with fear, uncertainty, and vulnerability," Meek wrote in a statement.
A verified GoFundMe in support of Ortiz's legal fees has almost reached its $10,000 goal.
